Explodemon

About

Explodemon is a single player casual platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Curve Studios and was released on March 25, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Explodemon combines the retro style of 16-bit platform games and Japanese action titles with the upgradable skills, hidden collectables and clever puzzles from more modern titles. Players use Explodemon's self-destructive nature to combat enemies and fly through the air, all the while solving a huge variety of physics-based puzzles. With twelve huge levels, full keyboard and controller support, u…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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64%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

music4 negative mentions

Innovative explosion mechanic that integrates attacking, jumping, and puzzle solving in a creative way.
Solid and interesting level design with a mix of platforming and puzzles, encouraging experimentation and replayability.
Fun nostalgic vibe reminiscent of classic 16-bit platformers and Mega Man with a humorous and self-aware comic book style.

Technical issues on PC including poor optimization, crashes, poor controller support, and sound problems.
Clunky, occasionally unresponsive controls and inconsistent physics that affect gameplay precision and enjoyment.
Repetitive boss fights, limited variety in gameplay mechanics, and pacing issues with sudden difficulty spikes especially in later levels.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay of Explodemon centers around a creative explosion mechanic that adds originality and kinetic energy to classic platforming, offering varied uses like boosting jumps and solving puzzles. While praised for inventive mechanics, challenging level design, and a nostalgic yet fresh feel reminiscent of Mega Man, the game suffers from repetitive elements, occasional clunky controls, and uninspired enemy variety that may reduce engagement over time. Overall, it delivers a solid but sometimes uneven platforming experience with a unique core mechanic that appeals to fans of old-school and physics-based gameplay.
- “Explodemon is a fun little platformer that scratches that classic Mega Man itch — the explosion mechanic is genuinely creative and gets used in interesting ways throughout the levels, from boosting jumps to solving puzzles.”
- “This explosive mechanic defines nearly every aspect of the experience, transforming what could have been a standard platformer into something much more kinetic and unpredictable.”
- “The levels grow steadily more complex, introducing new environmental hazards and enemy types that push the explosion mechanic in different directions.”
- “The game tries its damnedest to add humor to every single piece of story and dialogue, even when it interrupts the gameplay to inform you of new upcoming hazards, yet fails miserably.”
- “It tends to have the cheap feel of the levels being combinations of puzzle, gimmick mechanic and crude designs of lego-blocking together set level pieces.”
- “Also the timing and positioning mechanic with the exploding when fighting enemies is unclear and unintuitive.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by self-aware, parody-style jokes that evoke 1990s Japanese action games, offering a distinctive and light-hearted charm. While some players find the dialogue funny and enjoy its quirky, nostalgic tone, others feel the humor becomes repetitive and forced over time. Overall, the humor adds personality but can vary in effectiveness depending on the player's taste.
- “The game’s story leans into parody and self-awareness, presenting itself as a humorous send-up of poorly translated Japanese action games from the 1990s.”
- “The comic book presentation and self-aware humor give it some personality, and the level design is mostly solid, especially in the first half.”
- “The humor doesn’t always land, but its self-referential charm makes the world feel distinctive and full of personality.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The graphics of Explodemon feature a bright, comic-book, and cartoony aesthetic that some find appealing but others see as primitive or inconsistent. While visuals are generally polished with smooth animations and modern 2.5D effects, issues like frame rate stutters and graininess can detract from the experience. Overall, the graphics support the gameplay well, though some players may initially find them underwhelming or repetitive.
- “Visually, Explodemon embraces a bright, comic-book aesthetic that mirrors its exaggerated tone.”
- “That makes it look uneven with the graphical assets being of various styles and qualities, though that matters not because the most important part—that is, character animations, hitboxing, and control-responsiveness—seem as polished and good as they can be.”
- “Graphically the game is nice, with a smooth, solid, 3D appearance to the world.”
- “Players have reported frequent issues ranging from frame rate stutters and missing graphical options to audio glitches and unreliable controller support.”
- “At first glance visuals are disappointing and the player can give up at very beginning, however it takes 30-60 minutes to get warmed-up and enjoy the contents.”
- “That makes it look uneven with the graphical assets being of various styles and qualities, though that matters not because the most important part that is character animations, hitboxing and control-responsiveness seem as polished and good as they can be.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
37%
36%
The music features energetic electronic beats reminiscent of classic arcade soundtracks and complements the fast-paced gameplay well, though it suffers from a lack of variety that can make it feel repetitive and monotonous over time. Sound design quality is inconsistent, with some effects well-balanced and others muffled. While some players appreciate the nostalgic, upbeat style, others find the soundtrack overwhelming or headache-inducing.
- “The soundtrack complements the explosive gameplay with energetic electronic beats and rapid tempos that keep the adrenaline flowing.”
- “It evokes the feeling of classic arcade soundtracks, punctuated by bursts of chaotic sound effects that heighten the tension during combat or platforming sequences.”
- “If you enjoy old style flashy platformers with upbeat electronic music like Mega Man or Sonic with a good dose of silly humor thrown in, then I would really try Expodemon.”
- “Sound design is uneven—some explosions resonate with a satisfying punch, while others are muffled or poorly balanced against the music and voice effects.”
- “However, the lack of musical variety means that extended sessions can make the soundscape feel repetitive, much like the gameplay itself.”
- “The music gave me a pretty bad headache.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The story is a parody with humorous, self-aware dialogue that captures the feel of poorly translated 1990s Japanese action games, though its humor can feel forced and repetitive. While some find it amusing and light-hearted, others see it as barebones and monotonous, with grammar issues impacting clarity. Overall, it offers some entertainment but lacks depth and polish.
- “The game’s story leans into parody and self-awareness, presenting itself as a humorous send-up of poorly translated Japanese action games from the 1990s.”
- “The plot works given that it's intended as a parody; the title character talking like he was educated on English by someone who learned the language from a webtoon character has its moments, and it's generally easy enough to follow along with what's being said.”
- “The story, presented in comic book fashion, is quite entertaining.”
- “The story is barebones and any attempt to understand it is cut short and swiftly by the weird grammar.”
- “Unfortunately, it feels very monotonous; the gameplay and enemies all feel very same-y, the music gets repetitive quickly, and the story humor feels forced.”
- “The game tries its damnedest to add humor to every single piece of story and dialogue, even when it interrupts the gameplay to inform you of new upcoming hazards, yet fails miserably.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is mixed, with some users noting it runs adequately on modern computers, but others criticize the port for minimal optimization, resulting in poor technical performance and limited configuration options. Freeze-frame effects during combat can also disrupt smooth gameplay.
- “The port feels like a direct transplant of the console version with minimal optimization, which diminishes the experience for those expecting smoother performance or more flexible configuration options.”
- “The first thing that you will notice by playing Explodemon is how bad the technical performance is.”
- “Is fairly well-optimized so a more recent computer won't choke on its existence, though the freeze-frame for landing a clean hit on an enemy can get a little annoying after a while.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game offers strong replayability through hidden collectibles, upgrade systems, and challenge-based rating and timing goals, encouraging players to master precision and efficiency. It appeals particularly to fans of similar "mega clone" games and those who enjoy thorough exploration or speed-running.
- “Collectibles hidden throughout each stage encourage replayability and precision, as achieving high scores and perfect rankings requires mastering the timing and efficiency of each detonation.”
- “There are a lot of collectibles, and many of them are ridiculously well hidden, so it has some nice replay value if you want to find everything.”
- “There's upgrades, replayability, and a rating system for the levels, as well as challenging 'par' times that will please speed-running players.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent frame rate stutters, audio glitches, and unreliable or nonexistent controller support despite having a gamepad menu. It lacks proper windowed mode and ignores external settings, leading to random freezes and poor performance even on high-end PCs. These problems severely impact the overall play experience.
- “This game has no controller support (despite originally being a PS3 version and even having a gamepad settings menu), no way to activate a windowed screen mode, does not respect the settings enforced on it by wrappers and tools such as dxwnd and does its own thing anyway, might not correctly show you the list of available resolutions for your system, and runs so badly that it constantly stutters or even freezes momentarily at random intervals regardless of how beefy your PC is.”
- “Players have reported frequent issues ranging from frame rate stutters and missing graphical options to audio glitches and unreliable controller support.”
- “Glitches in the beginning of the game have spoiled all the desire to play.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is minimal in this game, as achieving S-ranks in levels provides enough resources to purchase all upgrades without much repetitive effort.